


One Chance

by rcmbelle



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Bethyl will happen I promise, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 10:46:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18409052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rcmbelle/pseuds/rcmbelle
Summary: Beth has one chance to change her fate. The last thing she remembers is plunging the scissors into Dawn’s shoulder,the force of the bullet entering her skull, and the next thing she knows is she’s waking up in the morning, at the prison, as if everything that had happened to the Greene daughter was all just a dream. She knows how events played out, her father dies, the prison falls and she dies.Beth has one change to change her fate. Can she?





	One Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if I should continue this!!! I enjoy writing “Beth lives” au’s (clearly) and I wanted to try something a bit different this time. Let me know your opinions!

“I get it now.” Beth said. It was eerily quiet in the hallway at Grady Memorial. You could hear a pin drop. Beth felt everyone staring at her, but what she really could feel was Daryl’s eyes pouring into her back, but everything was clear now. She understood. Dawn wasn’t going to change. It wasn’t fair. She twisted the scissors between her fingers and without a second thought, she dove forward and buried them into dawn’s shoulder. She heard the gunshot before feeling the bullet hit her. Everything went black as her body fell to the ground.  
Her hand flew to her chest as her blue eyes flew open, gasping for air. Beth Greene reached up to her forehead, finding smooth skin where she touched. No new stitches or blood where there surely must be.  
It was the weirdest sort of deja vu. Beth could’ve sworn she had already lived this day. The new room where she was sleeping now since the outbreak seemed foreign to her now. Judith lay asleep next to her, and she felt tears prick behind her eyes. Beth sat up and held her head in her hands. What was going on here? Surely she must be dreaming. The prison was gone, it had fallen. Judith stirred and started to cry, as if feeling the confusion in her caretaker. Beth picked her up and pressed her nose against the baby’s head. So much was going through Beth’s mind. She was beyond confused as to why she was given a second chance. Surely she must have died? The memory of the bullet hitting her, it was hazy but there. Judith calmed down and Beth laid her back down. When was the last time Beth had fresh air? It was hard to remember and she was still trying to comprehend how and why this was happening.  
Leaving Judith with one of the other women who weren’t affected by the illness, Beth decided to venture outside.  
Unlike last time, Beth knew what was going to happen. Her daddy was going to die, the prison was going to fall, she was going to end up with Daryl, and unless Beth could change it, she was going to die. She wasn’t about to let anyone she cared about die.  
But then suddenly, as she’s walking outside here comes Rick driving up alone. She sees Maggie opening the gate and closes it behind the lone car. Beth felt her heart start to ache. She missed her sister dearly. Beth had grabbed one of the knives she kept close, holding it between her finger tips.  
“Better watch whatcha doin’”  
Beth jumped and dropped the knife. She turned and saw Daryl watching her. Oh- she missed him so much. Damn Grady for taking her. Damn herself for being so clumsy and walking straight into that damn bear trap.  
“I was till you came up behind me and scared the shit outta me.” Beth said quietly under her breath as she bent down to pick up the knife.  
Daryl stared at her as if she had grown three heads. Shit. Beth wasn’t thinking as innocent Beth anymore. She had grown stronger and braver and more sure of herself. Daryl himself taught her that.  
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to snap at you Daryl.” She looked down.  
“S’alright.” He looked down as well. “Why’s Rick alone?” He asked suddenly as he stalked past Beth and down to where Rick had parked the car. Beth followed them.  
“Where’s Carol?” Daryl asked.  
Now was Beth’s time to escape and save her father. Where did he say he was going? Think Beth, think.  
“Beth what are you doing out here?!” Maggie asked. “Where’s Judith?”  
Beth jumped as she heard her sister’s voice. “She’s fine Maggie. She’s with-“  
Gunfire.  
No. She was too late. She felt tears start to roll down her cheeks. No, this shouldn’t be happening! It was too early in the day. The governor didn’t show up until later...  
What had changed?  
Beth stood pressed against the large metal gate that was surrounding the prison. Maggie was next to her. “They’ve got daddy and Michonne.” Beth whispered. She saw them bring out their father and then Michonne.  
“Rick!” Beth yelled. “You gotta save our dad!” Her heart was racing. She felt someone press something into her back- she turned, seeing Daryl hand her a gun. She took it, her fingers touching his briefly before she turned back, adjusting the weight of the gun in her arms.  
There was no conversation this time. The tank flew through the fence and up to the gate where it knocked that down too. Beth stared wide eyed as she watched the governor kill her daddy all over again. It just about broke her. She couldn’t change him dying.  
“Beth! Get to the bus!” That was Maggie. No, Beth needed to get Judith. “Maggie we have to get Judith!” She yelled. “Someone’s gonna have her! Just stay on the bus!” Maggie shouted.  
Beth shook her head, jumping off. She wasn’t going to lose Judith again. She rushed back to where she last saw her, but everyone was gone. No!  
Events weren’t changing. Why? Why had she been given this second chance if she couldn’t save her father or Judith or anyone she cared about?  
She wanted to give up, but knew she couldn’t. Beth ran out of the prison, out of breath.  
“I tried to find Judith but I couldn’t find her.” She said to Daryl as her eyes watched the prison getting overrun.  
“We gotta go Beth. We gotta go.”  
Well that was the same as before. She took off after him, holding onto the gun tightly in her grasp.  
This time though, she was smart and unafraid. She shot more walkers than she could count, keeping up with Daryl until they both couldn’t run any longer, collapsing onto her stomach in The tall grass, feeling her chest struggle to rise and fall.  
“Come on. We can’t stay here.” She whispered as they sat up. “Rick, Michonne. Carl. Maggie, Glenn. They coulda made it out.” She stared across at Daryl. She grabbed the knife in her pocket and stood. “Come on! You’re a tracker.” She kicked out the fire. “Let’s go find them.”  
It should be easy, right? Daryl had taught her a few things before they got separated. She looked down at her own foot prints and then tried to see if she could any others.  
“Ya know how to track?” Daryl asked in a hush whisper. Beth smiled to herself. “I had a pretty good teacher.” She whispered back.  
He didn’t say anything more, until Beth came across footprints in the dirt.  
“Could be Luke or Molly’s.. but they’re hours old.”  
“Never knew ya to be a tracker. Who taught ya?” Daryl asked.  
Beth frowned. It was him- he taught her all she knew, but she couldn’t very well tell him that, it would make her sound crazy and she didn’t want Daryl to think that of her.  
“They taught it at my school.” Beth lied, biting her lip. He seemed to accept that answer and they continued on their way.


End file.
